Van Horn, Iverson, D.C., Williams and McKie limp toward playoffs

April 09, 2003|By Jeff Schuler Of The Morning Call

Larry Brown has been told that Keith Van Horn may be available as early as Sunday, when the 76ers host New Orleans in what could be a critical game as far as their positioning in the Eastern Conference playoffs is concerned.

The Sixers coach, however, isn't exactly counting on the 6-10 forward, recovering from a foot injury suffered in last Friday's loss to Houston, being ready by then.

"I would think that would be silly to get him back under those circumstances," Brown said prior to Tuesday's game with Detroit.

Van Horn suffered a strained planter fascia and a bone bruise to his left foot when he stepped on the foot of Houston's James Posey while backpedaling following a 3-point attempt.

"Hopefully, with all the treatment I've been getting, I can be on the court a lot sooner than I think," Van Horn said following Monday's practice.

Brown said the concern when Van Horn, the team's second-leading scorer (15.9 ppg) and rebounder (7.1), does return is which injury will bear the most watching.

"I really don't know what's going to be the real problem, the bone bruise or the planter fascia," Brown said. "And I really don't have any time table when he comes back."

Van Horn, who is wearing a walking boot, said Monday he hopes to return for "at least a couple games" before the playoffs begin.

Dalembert coming?: The Sixers appear ready to give Samuel Dalembert a late-season look to see if he can help in the playoffs, but Brown said the second-year center's surgically repaired left knee "wasn't feeling good" Tuesday and a decision to activate him was delayed until he was seen by a doctor.

Dalembert, who underwent arthroscopic surgery in preseason, has been taking part in practice for about a week and said before Sunday's game he was "about 85 percent."

Williams out again: Monty Williams sat out Tuesday's game, ending his season-high streak of five straight games he had played in.

Williams, who practiced Monday after playing 21 minutes -- his second-most of the season -- in Sunday's game, had fluid drained from his left knee.

As for the remaining walking wounded, Allen Iverson, Derrick Coleman and Aaron McKie all played with their assorted ailments. "Allen said he felt a little better, even though his knee didn't look great, and Derrick ought to be on cloud nine," Brown said, alluding to the national title his alma-mater, Syracuse, won the night before in New Orleans.

By the way, Monday's inclement weather led Brown and Coleman to scrap their plans to fly to New Orleans for the title game.

Forget Clancy: Brown said rookie forward Sam Clancy, who had surgery on May 22 to repair a left patella dislocation, is not an option for the playoffs.

"I was under the impression he could be back in January, but Dr. [Samuel] Lombardo said that kind of injury is like an ACL, and sometimes it can take more than a year before it's 100 percent," Brown said. "That doesn't mean he can't play this summer -- I think we expect him to be able to go out and play -- but it could be 14 to 18 months before he's where he was."

Again, we have to ask: Brown said he has no knowledge of the progress of North Carolina's search for its new basketball coach.

"No, I'm sure I don't want to speak for them," said Brown, rumored to be a target of the search.